Famed playwright Tom Jones visits Ocala

Published: Monday, January 20, 2014 at 2:02 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, January 20, 2014 at 2:02 p.m.

It’s not unusual for Tom Jones to sit in the audience watching a performance of his work.

“Of course,” he said Sunday. “Where you learn is from the audience. You can relax if everything is going right, and if you get a little trickle of perspiration under your arm, you know you need to work on that section.”

What’s new is this audience was in Ocala, at the Ocala Civic Theatre — where Jones’ iconic musical “I Do! I Do!” that debuted on Broadway nearly 50 years ago was updated and performed for two weeks this month. OCT was the first theater to perform the updated version.

So, perspiration or inspiration? “I got a little of both,” he said after the closing matinee Sunday. “This was very helpful. I got some good changes that will help it a lot.”

He later told a member of the “I Do! I Do! I Do! I Do!” cast that he was ready to rush home to Connecticut “and get to work.” This newer version may get another chance on Broadway.

Initially, “I Do! I Do!” was performed by only two actors — Robert Preston and Mary Martin — who depicted Michael and Agnes Snow through their 50 years of marriage; this tweaked version features four couples each playing Mike and Agnes at different stages during their lives together.

But Jones wasn’t sure if audiences would accept different actors in the same roles.

“I didn’t know how people would react,” he said. “In theory I thought it would work, but actually seeing it I felt that it works well.

“It’s also great fun to have just two actors and watch them change. But I would be interested in seeing a production where they don’t match up the people as closely as here; where you might have a black couple or maybe a gay couple, as one of the couples. The story is a universal one of people engaged in this romantic and destructive, tranquil maelstrom — and ‘femaelstrom’ — called marriage.”

Just before the show began, OCT Executive Director Mary Britt told the audience that Jones was among them on this Sunday afternoon.

Three friends — Pat Haddad, Gladys Rodriguez and Mary Lee Tibbetts — sat a few rows away from him. One whispered to the others, “the real Tom Jones would be pretty old now.” Another replied: “Yeah, he probably can’t shake those hips anymore.”

In fact, this Tom Jones is 85, but he’s not the 1960s-era singer whose hits include “It’s Not Unusual,” “What’s New Pussycat,” “Delilah” and “She’s a Lady.” That Tom Jones is today known as Sir Thomas James Woodward of Wales, knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2006. He does still perform, however, and in fact has two shows in Illinois this weekend.

This Jones — as in the one in Ocala Sunday — is quite famous in theater circles, however. He and Harvey Schmidt wrote the multiple Tony Award-winning smash “The Fantasticks,” an off-Broadway theater staple that still stands as the longest-running musical in the world.

Jones chuckled when asked about sharing a name with the famous Welsh singer. Back in the days the singer was atop the charts, “it changed my life dramatically,” he said. “I was flying first class and all. Now I jet set in coach. I’d get on the plane and they’d say, ‘Oh, we thought it was going to be the REAL Tom Jones.’”

But he was real, and he was here.

Haddad, Rodriquez and Tibbetts said they’d never seen “I Do! I Do!” before, either on stage or the TV movie. But they had plenty to say about OCT’s musical.

<p>It's not unusual for Tom Jones to sit in the audience watching a performance of his work.</p><p>“Of course,” he said Sunday. “Where you learn is from the audience. You can relax if everything is going right, and if you get a little trickle of perspiration under your arm, you know you need to work on that section.”</p><p>What's new is this audience was in Ocala, at the Ocala Civic Theatre — where Jones' iconic musical “I Do! I Do!” that debuted on Broadway nearly 50 years ago was updated and performed for two weeks this month. OCT was the first theater to perform the updated version.</p><p>So, perspiration or inspiration? “I got a little of both,” he said after the closing matinee Sunday. “This was very helpful. I got some good changes that will help it a lot.”</p><p>He later told a member of the “I Do! I Do! I Do! I Do!” cast that he was ready to rush home to Connecticut “and get to work.” This newer version may get another chance on Broadway.</p><p>Initially, “I Do! I Do!” was performed by only two actors — Robert Preston and Mary Martin — who depicted Michael and Agnes Snow through their 50 years of marriage; this tweaked version features four couples each playing Mike and Agnes at different stages during their lives together.</p><p>But Jones wasn't sure if audiences would accept different actors in the same roles.</p><p>“I didn't know how people would react,” he said. “In theory I thought it would work, but actually seeing it I felt that it works well.</p><p>“It's also great fun to have just two actors and watch them change. But I would be interested in seeing a production where they don't match up the people as closely as here; where you might have a black couple or maybe a gay couple, as one of the couples. The story is a universal one of people engaged in this romantic and destructive, tranquil maelstrom — and 'femaelstrom' — called marriage.”</p><p>Just before the show began, OCT Executive Director Mary Britt told the audience that Jones was among them on this Sunday afternoon.</p><p>Three friends — Pat Haddad, Gladys Rodriguez and Mary Lee Tibbetts — sat a few rows away from him. One whispered to the others, “the real Tom Jones would be pretty old now.” Another replied: “Yeah, he probably can't shake those hips anymore.”</p><p>In fact, this Tom Jones is 85, but he's not the 1960s-era singer whose hits include “It's Not Unusual,” “What's New Pussycat,” “Delilah” and “She's a Lady.” That Tom Jones is today known as Sir Thomas James Woodward of Wales, knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2006. He does still perform, however, and in fact has two shows in Illinois this weekend.</p><p>This Jones — as in the one in Ocala Sunday — is quite famous in theater circles, however. He and Harvey Schmidt wrote the multiple Tony Award-winning smash “The Fantasticks,” an off-Broadway theater staple that still stands as the longest-running musical in the world.</p><p>Jones chuckled when asked about sharing a name with the famous Welsh singer. Back in the days the singer was atop the charts, “it changed my life dramatically,” he said. “I was flying first class and all. Now I jet set in coach. I'd get on the plane and they'd say, 'Oh, we thought it was going to be the REAL Tom Jones.'”</p><p>But he was real, and he was here.</p><p>Haddad, Rodriquez and Tibbetts said they'd never seen “I Do! I Do!” before, either on stage or the TV movie. But they had plenty to say about OCT's musical.</p><p>“You don't hear anybody say 'That doesn't happen,' ” Tibbetts said about the marriage on stage.</p><p>“Let's say it resonates,” added Haddad. “It's timeless.”</p><p>And as they applauded at the end, Haddad proclaimed: “They did him proud. He ought to be a happy man.”</p><p>As the auditorium cleared, Jones went on stage to greet the cast and crew; he signed autographs and posed for a group photo.</p><p>As they posed, Jeff Cole, one of the four Michaels, quipped: “You're the only one surrounded by women.” Retorted Jones: “It's nothing new.”</p><p>Oddly, he didn't say “it's not unusual.”</p>